Keeneland | Horse Racing Free Tips

Knicks Go Maintains Lead Over Letruska In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll

Korea Racing Stable's 5-year-old horse Knicks Go, the leading contender for the Grade 1, $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, retained his top ranking for the 10th consecutive week in this week's NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Knicks Go, a winner of four of six starts this year including his last three races, received 23 first place votes and 340 points.

St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska remained in second place in the poll with six first place votes and 310 points following an impressive victory in Sunday's Grade 1 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska is a leading contender for the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Another Cox trainee, Godolphin's 3-year-old standout colt Essential Quality, who is expected to take on elders for the first time in the Breeders' Cup Classic, remained in third place in this week's poll with seven first place votes and 300 points.

Roadrunner Racing, William Strauss, Boat Racing and Gainesway Stable's Hot Rod Charlie, another leading Classic contender, moved from fifth-place to fourth in this week's poll with 156 points. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior, a leading contender for the Grade 1, $2,000,000 Breeders' Cup Sprint, fell one spot to fifth-place with 154 points.

Zedan Racing Stable's Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful, Medina Spirit (130 points), moved up one spot to sixth-place, overtaking Michael Lund Peterson's Gamine (127 points), who is being pointed for the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. There were no other changes in this week's rankings with Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector (98 points), George Hall's Max Player (85 points) and Klaravich Stable's Domestic Spending (70 points) rounding out the top 10.

Click here for this week's complete poll results.

The post Knicks Go Maintains Lead Over Letruska In NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Bombs Away in the Bourbon

Tiz the Bomb broke through the gate before the start and had to overcome a wide post, but those obstacles proved no matter as the improving colt picked up his second straight stakes win in Sunday's GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. at Keeneland, punching his ticket for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Easily the most expensive progeny of his sire to sell in 2020 when hammering for $330,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Sale, the bay only beat one horse home debuting over five furlongs on the Churchill dirt May 14, but improved drastically stretching out to a mile in an Ellis off-the-turfer July 2, cruising to a 14 1/4-length graduation. Stepping up in his first start on turf and initial try against winners to annex the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S. Sept. 6, Tiz the Bomb was made a fractional favorite in this full 14-horse field despite breaking through his stall and running off for about a furlong before being corralled and reloaded.

Finding a good spot racing in the clear in fourth behind fractions of :22.94 and :47.54, he got shuffled back a bit midway around the far turn and appeared to be spinning his wheels in sixth as the field straightened for home. Starting to find his best stride passing the three-sixteenths marker, Tiz the Bomb drew alongside a trio of battling leaders a furlong out, forged to the front soon after and inched clear to prevail. Stolen Base rallied late to get into second.

“It's not a good omen, typically, and yeah, it makes a trainer nervous when it happens, but [jockey] Brian [Hernandez] did a great job wrangling him up and keeping him under control,” winning trainer Ken McPeek said of Tiz a Bomb breaking through the gate. “It's worse if he comes off or something like that. This horse has got a lot of talent and we're fortunate to have a guy like Brian who handles things on the oval. He does a great job.”

“We were ready, we were set up, and as the last horse was walking in, I turned his head to set him to where we could leave the gate in good order,” related Hernandez. “He got a little anxious and just charged forward one step and the gate popped open. Most of the time when that happens, horses have a hard time recovering from it, but when we finally reloaded and he left the gate in good order the second time, we were able to get around the first turn in good order. I was really confident in him, and he took care of it from there.”

The win capped a big weekend at Keeneland for McPeek, whose Rattle N Roll (Connect) ran away to an impressive success in Saturday's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. McPeek, however, said that Rattle N Roll may pass on the Breeders' Cup while indicating that Tiz the Bomb will be on a plane to Del Mar.

“I think for this horse definitely the Breeders' Cup Juvenile [Turf] is ideal,” he commented. “Everything happens for a reason. You could have made the case that Tiz the Bomb could have run yesterday for sure, and Rattle N Roll–of course, they're apples and oranges. It's a high-level problem we've got right now. We're just going to enjoy this, relish the moment and make those decisions as we get closer.”

Pedigree Notes:

One of seven stakes winners for Spendthrift Farm's Hit It a Bomb, Tiz the Bomb becomes his fifth graded stakes winner with the victory. He's the second foal to race out of his dam, who was fourth at 22-1 in the 2014 GI American Oaks. A $330,000 Keeneland September buy by Spendthrift, she has a yearling Free Drop Billy filly and foaled a colt by Mor Spirit this season before being bred to Gormley.

Sunday, Keeneland
CASTLE & KEY BOURBON S.-GII, $200,000, Keeneland, 10-10, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.69, gd.
1–TIZ THE BOMB, 120, c, 2, by Hit It a Bomb
   1st Dam: Tiz the Key, by Tiznow
   2nd Dam: Cabbage Key, by A.P. Indy
   3rd Dam: Mayville's Magic, by Gone West
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($330,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL).
O-Phoenix Thoroughbred, LTD; B-Spendthrift Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $447,841. Werk Nick
Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Stolen Base, 118, c, 2, Bodemeister–Running Wild, by
Indian Charlie. ($45,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Three
Diamonds Farm & Deuce Greathouse; B-Peter E. Blum
Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $40,000.
3–Credibility, 118, c, 2, Nyquist–Class Edge, by Indygo Shiner.
($32,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $15,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Harry
Rosenblum; B-DJ Stable, LLC (KY); T-Mark E. Casse.
$20,000.
Margins: 3/4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.90, 7.90, 45.00.
Also Ran: Red Danger, Dowagiac Chief, Rocket One, Play Action Pass, Lucky Boss, On Thin Ice, Brit's Wit, Martini'nmoonshine, Heaven Street, Fast N Steady, Waita Minute Hayes. Scratched: Red Run, Vivar.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Letruska Dominates in Keeneland’s Spinster

Popular star distaffer Letruska (Super Saver) took another step toward a potential Horse of the Year trophy Sunday at Keeneland, rolling to her fourth Grade I victory and sixth graded stakes win overall on the year as a heavy favorite in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S.

A dual Group 1 winner in Mexico for Fausto Gutierrez in 2019, Letruska stamped herself as a horse to watch with an impressive wire-to-wire score in last summer's GIII Shuvee S. at Saratoga and, after disappointing when finishing a well-beaten fourth in Belmont's GII Beldame S., added open-lengths graded stakes successes in the GIII Rampart S. and GIII Houston Ladies Classic S. over the winter. A narrow second in the GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn, the 5-year-old sent a seismic shock through the racing world when improbably re-rallying to stun dual champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 17 in Hot Springs. She then added a 2 3/4-length conquest of the GI Ogden Phipps S. and came back three weeks later for a 5 3/4-length romp in the GII Fleur de Lis S. before fighting off a host of challengers to annex the GI Personal Ensign S. last out Aug. 28 at Saratoga.

Away with all the money on to keep it rolling in this first career start at Keeneland, the bay broke as cleanly as Gutierrez could have asked for and established command in the first handful of strides under regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. Shaking loose from her nearest pursuers with ears pricked heading into the clubhouse turn, Letruska clicked off moderate fractions of :24 flat and :47.89 while moving easily in the clear. Crystal Ball (Malibu Moon) tried her best to take a run at the chalk as three-quarters went up in 1:12.52, but was always under more pressure than Letruska and dropped away by the top of the lane. Distant second choice Dunbar Road (Quality Road) began to make up marginal ground passing the eighth pole, but was never a realistic threat, and Letruska bounded past the wire a victress for the 17th time in her remarkable 22-race career.

“This is a horse to change the life of any person,” said Gutierrez. “She's a superstar and she proves [it] every second, every race. She shows her game, her ability at Churchill, at Oaklawn, at Saratoga. She's a racehorse.”

“She's doing so good right now,” added Ortiz. “I think she has great condition, a good trainer. She's doing unbelievable right now. She was just moving smooth out there. She didn't go that fast today but she did it easy, relaxed, and whenever I asked her she was there for me.”

Pedigree Notes:

One of 32 stakes winners, 16 graded stakes winners and seven Grade I winners for 2010 GI Kentucky Derby hero Super Saver, Letruska is the third black-type performer and second black-type winner from seven foals to race out of GSP Magic Appeal, a half-sister to GISW and sire J P's Gusto (Successful Appeal) and the dam of dual Canadian champion Miss Mischief (Into Mischief). Second dam Call Her Magic (Caller I. D.) was an eight-time winner in 14 career starts and ran a 107 Beyer when airing in a turf sprint stake by 6 3/4 lengths at Delaware in 2000. She is also a half-sister to the dam of 2008 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Proud Spell (Proud Citizen). Magic Appeal, a $100,000 Keeneland November pickup by Letruska's owner/breeder in 2015, has an unraced 2-year-old Hard Spun colt named Ocotzingo, a yearling colt by Arrogate and a weanling filly by Malibu Moon. She was bred to Curlin this spring.

Sunday, Keeneland
JUDDMONTE SPINSTER S.-GI, $500,000, Keeneland, 10-10, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:49.01, ft.
1–LETRUSKA, 124, m, 5, by Super Saver
                1st Dam: Magic Appeal (GSP), by Successful Appeal
                2nd Dam: Call Her Magic, by Caller I. D.
                3rd Dam: Malibu Magic, by Encino
O/B-St. George Stables, LLC (KY); T-Fausto Gutierrez; J-Irad
Ortiz, Jr. $300,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 3yo Filly-Mex,
22-17-1-1, $2,236,459. *1/2 to Trigger Warning (Candy Ride
(ARG)), MSW & GISP, $555,378. Werk Nick Rating:
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dunbar Road, 124, m, 5, by Quality Road
                1st Dam: Gift List, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Private Gift, by Unbridled
                3rd Dam: Private Status, by Alydar
($350,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Jeffery J.
Drown (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
3–Bonny South, 124, f, 4, by Munnings
                1st Dam: Touch the Star, by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Willstar, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Nijinsky Star, by Nijinsky II
O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $50,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 2 1/4, 2HF. Odds: 0.40, 4.60, 6.10.
Also Ran: Crystal Ball, Envoutante, Town Avenger. Scratched: High Regard. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Letruska Dominates in Keeneland’s Spinster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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‘Love’ Is In The Air at Keeneland

Prior to sending out Ivar (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) to a victory in last year's GI Keeneland Turf Mile, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, trainer Paolo Lobo had not tasted Grade I success in 16 years dating back to Pico Central (Brz) (Spend a Buck)'s victory in the GI Met Mile in 2004. Jockey Alex Achard, 30 years of age, hadn't so much as ridden in a top-level event, but made the most of the opportunity Saturday afternoon, guiding In Love (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) to a 12-1 upset, giving his connections a second straight success in the race.

The lesser-preferred half of the uncoupled entry with 4-1 Ivar, In Love was settled in a midfield seventh, a spot or two behind a tugging Ivar, as longshot Brown Storm (Chi) (Scat Daddy) cut out the running from Diamond Oops (Lookin At Lucky) and a three-wide Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown). Nicely settled along the fence and traveling underneath reigning Breeders' Cup Mile hero Order of Australia (GB) (Australia {GB}) down the backstretch, In Love raced more or less on the back of Ivar and improved by a spot as Order of Australia called it a day three furlongs down. Traveling extremely kindly nearing the stretch, he was eased off the heels of Ivar and into the the three or four path in upper stretch and sprinted his final quarter mile in :22.91 (according to Trakus) to cause the upset. One-time claimer Tell Your Daddy (Scat Daddy), exiting a front-running victory in the GII Bernard Baruch H. Sept. 6 at Saratoga, ran on gamely for second just ahead of Somelikeithotbrown.

In Love is nominated to the Breeders' Cup and trainer Paolo Lobo seemed to indicate Ivar would benefit from the return effort and would alsp proceed to Del Mar. Bonne Chance and Stud RDI are also set to be represented in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf by Imperador (Arg) (Treasure Beach {GB}), winner of the GII Calumet Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs.

A maiden scorer and Group 2-placed in Argentina, In Love was an allowance winner at last year's Keeneland fall eetingand snapped a three-race losing streak with in a second-level allowance at Arlington July 25. He was exiting a 2 1/4-length success with blinkers added in the TVG2 S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 8.

“I think the big key was we went to Arlington and tried an easier spot, and he won the race, and then we put blinkers on him and he improved a lot,” said Lobo who saddled Farda Amiga (Broad Brush) to win the 2002 GI Kentucky Oaks before closing her career with a runner-up effort to Azeri (Jade Hunter) in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Arlington. “I think the horse is improving. You know, Kentucky Downs horses get very fit. And also he loves it here [at Keeneland]. Last year he won an allowance very easy here, and I think the give in the ground helped him.”

Pedigree Notes:

In Love is the 16th G1SW/GISW for Agnes Gold (Jpn), a son of Sunday Silence who passed away in late September in Brazil at the age of 23. Last Bet is the dam of In Love's 2-year-old full-sister Miss Sarajevo (Brz) and a yearling full-brother to In Love.

Saturday, Keeneland
KEENELAND TURF MILE S.-GI, $750,000, Keeneland, 10-9, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.84, gd.
1–IN LOVE (BRZ), 126, g, 5, by Agnes Gold (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Last Bet (Brz) (GSW & G1SP-Brz),
                                by Know Heights (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Barefoot Contessa (Brz), by Ghadeer (Fr)
                3rd Dam: Feminite, by Duke of Marmalade
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Bonne Chance
Farm, LLC & Stud R D I, LLC.; B-Fazenda Mondesir / Stud Rio
Dois Irmaos (BRZ); T-Paulo H. Lobo; J-Alex Achard. $450,000.
Lifetime Record: GSP-Arg, 13-5-2-2, $729,700. *1/2 to Last Kiss
(Brz) (Elusive Quality), G1SW-Brz, G1SP-Arg. Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tell Your Daddy, 126, g, 5, Scat Daddy–Harbingerofthings, by
Rockport Harbor. ($250,000 Ylg '17 FTKTUR). O-Flying P Stable;
B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Thomas Morley. $150,000.
3–Somelikeithotbrown, 126, h, 5, Big Brown–Marilyn Monroan,
by Tapit. O-Skychai Racing LLC & Sand Dollar Stable LLC; B-Hot
Pink Stables & Sand Dollar Stables (NY); T-Michael J. Maker.
$75,000.
Margins: 1HF, HF, HD. Odds: 12.30, 29.10, 6.80.
Also Ran: Ivar (Brz), Space Traveller (GB), Front Run the Fed, Pixelate, Diamond Oops, Argentello (Ire), Monarchs Glen (GB), Brown Storm (Chi), Order of Australia (Ire). Scratched: Field Pass. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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